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The National Institute of Fashion Technology campuses are among the top design colleges in India. There are plenty of career opportunities after NIFT 2026, coming as perks after passing out from the top design colleges, and a rising design industry. Some of the top recruiters, such as Arvind Lifestyle Brands Limited, Bata India Limited, Fabric Monde, and FAB WORLD, have offered multiple career opportunities after NIFT. The fashion industry has witnessed its steady growth due to the rapid growth of social media. This article discusses the various career opportunities after NIFT, jobs for freshers, salary, and much more.
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The NIFT campuses conduct their admissions through the NIFT entrance exam and subsequent processes such as the situation test and interview. The career opportunities after NIFT are an important factor drawing applicants to NIFT 2026 and appear for the exam.
Graduates have the highest-paying career opportunities after NIFT in fashion government jobs, as well as in private companies. Here is a list of jobs one can expect in their career after NIFT for freshers.
One of the most sought careers that NIFT graduates opt for is fashion designing. Students throughout their study period at NIFT create costumes for many events and runway shows that take place at the institute. A fashion designer's main aim is to analyse the trends and create outfits to suit the market. The average salary after NIFT fashion designing can go up to Rs. 60,000 as salary per month.
A fashion illustrator creates sketches of the new designs, sitting in their own office environment. Designers and illustrators work together and create new trends in the fashion design field. The main work of a fashion Illustrator is to create illustrations for various companies according to the new trends. The average salary of a fashion Illustrator in India is approximately 3 lakhs per annum. An illustrator can earn 20k to 25k as a NIFT graduate's salary per month.
Post the growth of social media, celebrities require personal stylists who adopt the latest trends. A stylist creates looks for celebrities to wear at award functions, movie premieres, promotion events, photo shoots, and other projects etc. A celebrity stylist can take away Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 26,000 per month. The average annual salary for a fashion stylist is Rs. 3.5 lakhs.
Career opportunities after NIFT for freshers are not limited to the design field. Many magazines and media houses require fashion journalists who give insights on fashion trends, collect news related to fashion weeks, and analyse the looks of celebrities. Fashion journalists need to have good written communication skills or creative writing skills to thrive in the industry. The average annual income of a fashion journalist can range between Rs. 2.4 lakhs to Rs 6.4 lakhs per annum. The average income is Rs. 4 lakhs per annum.
A fashion merchandiser analyses the trends and sales of products that the customers like and creates new products along with the designers and illustrators to meet the customers' needs. Fashion merchandisers select fabrics, textures, and hues as per the market demand. They must have a good knowledge of fashion trends as well as marketing strategies. A fashion merchandiser can expect a salary of Rs 15,000 to Rs 45,000 per month.
Design students have skills for multitasking as well as creativity. Thus, a graduate of NIFT can be a good fit for a social media manager. They are trained in computer software used for designing and are well-versed in aesthetics. They can also manage time well and are good trend analysts, which makes them good social media managers. The salary of social media managers can be between Rs. 3-7 LPA.
Fashion consultants are professionals who assist the company in trend analysis and creating new designs. They are well aware of trends and advise companies to create products to suit the customer's needs. A fashion consultant can make Rs. 15,000 to 25000 per month.
Fashion design graduates can have a good knowledge of textile production. Quality assurance controllers govern the production of textiles to ensure that the customers receive what they are promised. Thus, they guarantee that the company has good customer relations. The approximate salary for a quality assurance controller can be Rs. 5-6 LPA. Many government sectors in the handloom industry also require quality assurance professionals. This can be a good government job after NIFT in India.
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NIFT students can avail the NIFT placement opportunities offered on campus by contacting the placement cell. The placements usually take place through two modes: Pre-Placement offers (PPO) and two phases of placements - phase one is offline, and phase 2 is online. The NIFT placements are scheduled in April and May of each year by the placement cell. NIFT has a very strong industry engagement through a network of alumni and recruiters; it provides students with workshops, internships, and engagement with industry experts.
Pre-Placement Offer:
Many recruiters choose candidates through their training or internships provided to them. They offer these placements to students based on their work abilities shown during the period and their creative and innovative skills, and their dedication towards work.
Recruiters visit the campus in phase 1 (offline placements), conduct interviews, and choose the perfect candidate for the job position required. The recruiters can also opt for phase 2 (online placements) where the candidates who have registered can have a scheduled interview in an online mode.
The recruiters can be artists, NGO, designers, export houses, media houses, start-ups, etc. Besides garments and textiles, the candidates get career opportunities after NIFT in India to work in the lifestyle sector, UX/UI Design, Virtual Reality Gaming, Product Design, etc. Some of the top recruiters are-
Arvind Lifestyle Brands Limited
Bata India Limited
Fabric Monde
FAB WORLD
Manyavar
Tejas Innovative Solutions Ltd etc.
Also Read: NIFT Study Material
Career opportunities after NIFT are numerous. One can stay in the glamour of the runway or choose to become a backstage member and work in an office. One can seek government jobs after NIFT or become the master of their own venture. So, to enter the job world, here are some tips for candidates to grab the best career after NIFT:
Work hard in fashion school and get good grades. Good grades by the jury members not only help in the resume but also create an impression on the jury, which is necessary for networking.
Networking is one of the most important aspects of success in fashion. Create bonds with students from other departments and colleges. Explore fests, and represent your works in the fests to get the highest-paying career opportunities after NIFT.
Create a strong portfolio and showcase it to designers to grab a job after NIFT.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
NIFT is a well recognised institution that has recognition in the field of fashion. A NIFT graduate is well respected and can get a good placement.
No, NIFT is a government institution and it has many scholarship opportunities for the deserving candidates.
There are numerous jobs or career opportunities after NIFT. One can be a fashion designer, a stylist, or an Illustrator. One can work under media houses as a journalist or fashion photographer. One can start their own venture in designing or blogging.
NIFT and IIT are two very different institutions. NIFT deals with fashion designing, jewellery designing, garment production etc. and IIT has courses like graphic designing which deals more with technology.
There is an international collaboration and study abroad student exchange program. Selected students have the opportunity to go to FIT New York.
On Question asked by student community
Hello Neharika
These are the topics which are most important in the Current affairs section in respect to NIFT Entrance Exam:
1. National and International Awards and Honors
2. Government Schemes and Initiatives
3. Sports
4. Appointments and Newsmakers
5. Science and Technology
6. Indian and World Economy
7. International Relations
8. Fashion Industry Updates
9. Books and Authors
10. Art and Culture
11. Environmental and Social Issues
To know more about NIFT Entrance Exam: NIFT Entrance Exam by CAREERS360
Hope this answer helps! Thank You!!!
Hello,
According to the sources, the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) entrance exam for 2026 will be held in February 2026. Also, the registration period may open from November 2025.
I hope it will clear your query!!
Dear Candidate ,
Yes , you are eligible for NIFT - UG 2026 . Based on your birthdate , you will be 19 years old as of August 1 , 2026 , which is well within the age limit .
NIFT requires applicants to be under 24 years of age on August 1 of the admission year , with a 5 year relaxation for SC/ST/PwD candidates .
Hello
The syllabus of NIFT 2026 will be released on October 2025 by Nift officials on their official website nift.ac.in . The syllabus comprises of topics General Ability Test (GAT) and Creative Ability Test (CAT). The syllabus is different for UG and PG programmes. The GAT syllabus consists of :
The CAT syllabus consists important topics like
To download the complete syllabus kindly refer this
https://design.careers360.com/articles/nift-syllabus
Good luck !
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